Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2009-03-23-Speech-1-143"
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"en.20090323.17.1-143"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, for a year we have been celebrating the development of this new process, this new agreement between the European Union and Africa. This being the case, you will allow me to be less reserved than usual, Commissioner. I believe that on the occasion of its first anniversary, a certain number of acknowledgements must be made.
Down there, there is a shortage of everything. There is a shortage of managers, doctors, teachers and technicians. Here, there is talk of managed immigration, yet we still have not taken the measures necessary to allow diasporas, for example, to put themselves at the service of their states. Down there, they do not even manage to feed their populations. Here, we are renewing the export subsidies on our agricultural products and promoting biofuels, which leads to huge monocultures down there.
Down there, everything continues to fall apart, destitution spreads, disease kills and water is short. Here, we talk a lot, we make promises, we debate and we vote on resolutions; but what is happening in practical terms for the people of Africa? I think – as do you for that matter, and I know that you are firmly convinced of this – that it is time to bring together the parliaments of these countries, and thus to bring together their peoples. I believe that no process between the European Union and Africa will succeed as long as we remain at the level of politicians and technicians. The peoples of Africa must be brought together and it is through their parliaments that we must do it.
I am delighted to hear that there is a will to develop this special relationship at parliamentary level. However, I have my doubts, Commissioner, because just before this debate we had a long debate with your colleague Mrs Ashton about Economic Partnership Agreements. Bizarrely, it is almost impossible to achieve the involvement of the parliaments of partner countries in those agreements. We are not managing to convince part of this House, but also the Commission, that it would really be necessary for their parliaments to have their say first, before asking us – the European Parliament – our opinion on issues that will directly affect the lives of people down there. That being the case, I hope that things will change in this regard.
Likewise, I believe that it is important – thankfully, you also emphasised it – to involve NGOs and African civil society in the process a lot more and a lot better; I also mentioned diasporas, but that relates to here. I do not know what practical things have been done with respect to this, but in any case I think that they give the process which you have set in motion a chance of success."@en1
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